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The three-man
committee from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), investigating the
stability of Cumballa Hill after a portion was excavated for the construction
of the Sale Towers (Twin Towers), is set to file a final report any time now.
S D
Corp, the developer and a sister concern of the giant Shapoorji
Pallonji group has been embroiled in an acrimonious legal battle
with the Carmichael Road Citizens’ Committee (CCC) over the
construction of two 60-floor towers.
While the committee
commissioned independent studies regarding hill safety, S D Corp commissioned
two independent studies that claim that Cumballa Hill has not been
destabilised because of the construction, but in fact strengthened by it.
A senior S D Corp
official, said that the CCC studies lacked authenticity as the
committee’s so-called experts, “had not visited the site, basing
their reports on hearsay and conjecture.”
S D Corp also said that, “The opposition is the
reason for the delay by the IIT committee in submitting a report.
(The committee has taken 15 months to submit an
interim report.) They have placed hurdles throughout the
process.”
S D Corp especially singled out foundation
engineer V C Deshpande, whose report says, “rectify the serious
deficiencies urgently — lest the fragile stability of the cliff
amplifies into a mishap of biblical proportions” as a “person
who is not qualified to comment as he is only an engineer and not a
geotechnical expert.”
Deshpande hit back
with, “I have based my interpretations on the IIT committee’s interim
report. I have also personally visited the site. If I am unqualified to
comment then why am I on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)?” he asks.
With the opposition
and the developer in combat mode, the decibel levels are set to go
up in what has been one of the most controversial construction
projects in Mumbai.
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